Emmaus Lutheran Church December,

Transcription

1 Emmaus Lutheran Church December, Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus, January, 2016 I bid you a warm welcome as we enter now into the New Year with wondrous anticipation of what it may bring! We need not search far for the news of gloom and doom on the horizon that so many are considering in their predictions of what the New Year will bring. Yet as the country and the world appear in so much turmoil, let us rejoice in the assurances the Word of God gives us. St. Paul must have seen the signs of the Philippians in their struggles with a world in turmoil. He told them, Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6 7). It is so easy for a world, blind to the purpose of Christ, in its fallen state, to look at the Word of the Christmas message, only to find its message as hollow. We, as Christians having just celebrated His birth, share an insight into the joy of salvation for which He brought. While tomorrow or this coming year may bring uncertainties for this world, we recognize the certainty of what our Lord brings, will offer much more. The apostle, St. Paul, had come from a world that saw little purpose for a Savior. His role as a Jewish leader had been to persecute those who found purpose, the irony being that God calls Paul to preach the Gospel. He too would then face the persecution. Yet in light of this persecution He faced, He calls upon the strength of God s Word to see him through. He reminds the Philippians and us, that when troubled or anxious, God s peace and understanding are at the heart of the message that the Savior brings through the Word. May you find that peace and understand as we approach the year to come in the joy He brings us! Pastor David W. Kern Church Ph: Home Ph: Cell Ph: Yours in His Care Pastor Kern May you enjoy the presence of Christ in the New Year!

2 Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 MEETING REMINDERS January 3 rd Installation of officers during 10:00 worship January 4 th 9:30am, LWML Meeting January 4 th Elder s Meeting 7:00pm; Council Meeting 7:30pm January 11 th 7:30pm, Voter s Meeting January 21 st 7:00pm; Thursday Worship with Holy Communion WORD PUZZLE Ready for the Master s Return (Luke 12:35 40)

3 35 Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Exported from Logos Bible Software, 3:07 PM December 28, 2015.

4 BOOK OF THE MONTH The book of the month offers us a wonderful contrast of Christian thought, as it discusses the differences of doctrine. Christian Spirituality: Five Views of Sanctification, edited by Donald L. Alexander, affords theologians from the Reformed, Lutheran, Wesleyan, Pentecostal and Contemplative movements to share their views on sanctification and then offer responses to each of the other perspectives. You can find this book as well as each book of the month, in the fellowship hall. ELDERS The elders will meet Monday, January 4 th at 7:00 PM. The elder on duty in January is Terry Close. COUNCIL MEETING The Church Council will meet Monday, January 4 th at 7:30 PM. LWML The LWML will meet Monday, January 4 th at 9:30 AM. INSTALLATION OF NEW OFFICERS Our newly elected officers will be installed during worship on Sunday, January 3 rd.

5 WEDNESDAY MORNING BIBLE CLASS Our Wednesday morning Bible class will be conducted at the church from now on, allowing for all members to attend, who might have been restricted from doing so in homes with stairs. Our normal schedule is fellowship and refreshments from 9:30 to 10:00, with the Bible class beginning at 10:00. During January the host/hostess will be: January 6 th, Jean Bertels; January 13 th, Margaret Bertels; January 20 th, Deloris Whitlock; January 27 th, Sharyn Janssen. WORSHIP SCHEDULE FOR JANUARY Sunday January 3 rd 1 Kings 3;4-15; Ephesians 1:3-14; Luke 2:40-52 Sunday January 10 th Luke 3:15-22 Isaiah 43:1-7; Romans 6:1-11; Baptism of Our Lord Sunday January 17 th Isaiah 62:1-5; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; John 2:1-11 Thursday January 21 st Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10; 1 Corinthians 12: 12-31a; Luke 4:16-30 Sunday January 24 th Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10; 1 Corinthians 12: 12-31a; Luke 4:16-30 Sunday January 31 st Jeremiah 1:4-10 (17-19); 1 Corinthians 12:31b-13:13; Luke 4:31-44 Second Sunday after Christmas White First Sunday after Epiphany White Second Sunday After Epiphany Green Third Sunday after Epiphany Green Fourth Sunday after Epiphany Green JANUARY USHER SCHEDULE The January usher schedule is as follows: Sunday, January 3 rd, Matt Bertels and Lukas Bixen; Sunday, January 10 th, Rich Bertels and Aaron Leach; Sunday, January 17 th, David Leach and Scott Aljets; Sunday, January 24 th, Ken Heuer and Malcolm Anders; January 31 st. Eugene Bertels and Matt Bertels. ALTAR GUILD The altar guild members serving in January are Mary Johnson and Deloris Whitlock.

6 CONFIRMATION CLASS Confirmation classes will meet each week on Wednesdays, 7:15pm. OFFERING ENVELOPES The 2016 offering envelopes are available in the fellowship hall to be picked up. USHER SCHEDULES The 2016 usher schedules are in the mailboxes in the old parish hall. RECEIVE THE NEWSLETTER ELECTRONICALLY OR PICK IT UP AT CHURCH If you would like to receive the monthly newsletter by rather than by regular mail, If you would like to pick it up at church, either in the church office or in your church mail box, please let Chris Prager or Pastor know. This would save on our postage expenses. We will continue to mail the newsletter to those who prefer to receive it in that way. ATTENDANCE FOR DECEMBER Sunday December 6 th - 68 Communion - 49 Sunday December 13 th - 57 Wednesday December 16 th - 16 (Advent Service) Sunday December 20 th - 82 Communion - 50 Thursday December 24 th (Christmas Eve) Friday December 25 th - 22 Communion - 18 (Christmas Day) Sunday December 27 th - 40 Thursday December 31 st - (New Year s Eve) JANUARY BIRTHDAYS January 7 Blake Alan Bertels January 20 Raymond Frazier 9 James Paul Christians 21 Ashley Lynn Bertels 10 Diana Lynn Bertels 21 John Douglas Bixen 10 Ric Coyle 22 Jakob Edward Copeland

7 13 Layne Gibson 22 Susan Renee Gieseking 13 McKenzie Marshall 23 Dallas Bertels 13 Justin Ruppel 26 Dolores Fay Bertels 15 Marilyn Whitlock 27 Yvonne Denise Thomas 19 Megann Wyatt 28 Benjamin Allen Kuethe